The Lost Maiden
by Feeloves
Summary: Alex was just your average 21st century girl, until she found herself stuck in a world that she never even knew existed. Unfortunately, everything isn't just sunshine and butterflies where she is involved. Lost and without a voice, can Alex find a way home? And when she eventually does, can she bring herself to leave? An honest-to-God non-marysue. Ratings may change
1. Chapter 1: The Event

**Hello all. It has been a while hasn't it? It felt odd to be cranking this noggin once again to come up with this. But I have just seen the Hobbit and well, lets just say it has made more than an impression on me (that and I am approaching level 80 on WoW =D ). I've always wanted to write a fantasy-type fic (less HP and more like this yknow?) and I thought this was an excellent opportunity. Be warned, I do not know how long this fic will go, or if I will even end up finishing it. But I am on holiday now and thought, why the Hell not? **

**Note: I have not read any of the LotR books, or anything like that. Everything I know of comes purely from the movies and the rest made by my own imagination.**

**I do not own anyone aside from the characters from the modern day (and even then they are actually based of people I know so...) and my name is unfortunately, not Tolkein. Aside from that...**

**Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 1**

**The Event  
**

_For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words await another voice. - T.S. Eliot_

"3… 2… 1…"

Alex closed her eyes for a split second, her breath hitching as she tightened her grip on her champagne glass, anticipating the eruption to come.

"HAPPY NEW YEARS!"

Around her couples began kissing as beautiful fireworks exploded overhead. The shouts and cheers of happiness were almost deafening, amplified by the small confinement of the rooftop bar. Eyelids fluttering open, the raven-haired girl smiled softly, marveling at the wonderful colors as they scattered across the sky, a deep sense of nostalgia overcoming her. Tearing her eyes away from the spectacle, she turned to glance at her best friend of nine years, Elizabeth, who was currently wrapped in the arms of the love of her life, lips locked in what looked like an eternal kiss. Alex bit her bottom lip, forcing herself to turn away. Eli and Sean's love was a sad and sweet story, having to deal with almost 6 thousand miles worth of distance throughout their entire five-year relationship. But even the blindest of men could tell that what they had was something special, something real… Unlike anything Alex had ever experienced.

Drawing in a deep breath, Alex drowned out the bitter taste of envy with a sip of sweet champagne, feeling horrible for the sadness that overcame her. She couldn't really understand her own emotions, to be honest. It was her fault that her own relationship ended five months ago: she had dug her own grave; she should have the guts to lie in it… Yet at the same time, she couldn't help but feel the tug of loneliness in her chest, despite being in a room filled to the brim with people.

The group of them had decided to spend New Years Eve in a popular bar called The Scene that was allocated at the top of the 30 storey hotel, offering them the most fabulous view of the city below and its gorgeous skyline. It was an interesting concept, an indoor bar that was framed with glass: glass ceilings and glass walls. That way, their customers were saved from the outside heat while under the façade that they were outdoors. The place was large and spacious, but over the course of the night it seemed as though the entire population decided to turn up. It was hot, although thankfully not stuffy, and the crowd was older than Alex was used to. At the prime age of 21, she felt as though she could have been the youngest one in the room, and she would not have been surprised if she were.

The music was incredibly loud, so much so that the floor vibrated with the bass. People were shouting, majority reasonably drunk, and from where she was standing she could see couples getting rather frisky on the dance floor. This was very much her scene, being one that never passed up on a chance to dress up and show off her dance moves, but tonight she just wasn't feeling it. Perhaps it was the place, perhaps it was the crowd, or the music, or the ambiance… But she just felt uncomfortable.

Or perhaps it could be that she had gotten with one of Sean's friends almost a year ago and she could still feel the tension of her rejection across the table. Even though she pretended not to notice, she could feel Daniel's intense dark eyes on her every once in a while. She briefly wondered what Melissa, his girlfriend, thought of all this, or if she even knew about their short affair that occurred when they were going through their 'break'. How foolish Alex had been to realize that their break was only temporary, and that he was going to run back to his ex eventually.

Sighing, Alex shoved all thoughts of that man aside, and entertained the idea of leaving this place, weighing the pros and cons of enduring the traffic jam outside against spending another hour forcing smile after smile. It was New Years; she should be spending time with the people she loved… But even then, being the only single one amongst the three couples that she came with could grate on anybody's nerves.

"Happy New Years babe!" Eli shouted in her ear as she engulfed Alex in a tight hug, breaking her out of her little internal battle. Mentally chastising herself for being so foolish, she returned the hug tenfold, grinning from ear to ear at the sheer joy on her best friend's face. It wasn't often that Eli got to have Alex and boyfriend with her, so she was not honestly surprised. They were all studying in different parts in the world. Eli in London, Sean in Hong Kong and herself in America, it was pure luck and a blessing really that they ended up in the same place to celebrate the New Years.

"Happy New Years sweetie." She responded as she kissed her friend on the cheek. "You look gorgeous tonight by the way."

"I do don't I?" Eli replied cheekily with a wink and a mini twirl. Alex laughed at her typical audacious behaviour. Elizabeth was never one of subtlety or modesty, especially when she had alcohol to fuel her nerves. But neither girls were lying anyway, so what was the point? The petite dark-haired girl did look incredible, clad in a skin-tight golden dress (courtesy of Herve Leger) that showed off all her womanly curves and sky-high black platforms that shot her up five inches so that she stood at 5'8". Her long, straight, jet-black hair flowed down her shoulders and ended mid-back, and her warm chocolate eyes, framed with black liner and mascara, shone with happiness and excitement. Alex shook her head, unable to hold back her grin of pure affection as she hugged her friend again.

"I love you babe… Here's to another great year."

"I love you too, and here is to us."

Sipping once again from her glass, Alex shot a glance at the still-exploding spectacle outside. _This year_, she swore to herself, _will be different_.

**###**

"Are you sure you're going to be alright driving?" Eli asked, worried. They were standing outside the hotel waiting for the valet to bring up Alex's car. The bell tower on the opposite side of the street showed that it was just shy of three o'clock in the morning. Smiling softly, Alex reassured her for what seemed to be the umpteenth time.

"I will be fine. I barely drank remember?" Alex was a lightweight, so she knew that one glass of champagne was all she could handle tonight, and she was very diligent to keep it at that. "Are you sure you don't need me to send you guys home? It really is no trouble."

Shaking her head, Eli grinned as she looked up at her doting boyfriend, intertwining her fingers with his. "It's fine. We were thinking of taking a walk anyway. It's beautiful out."

"If you're sure…" Just then, a battered old red Honda City came to a stop in front of them and the valet boy came out to hand her the keys. Thanking him graciously despite the sad state of her vehicle, Alex turned to hug her best friend and her boyfriend. "I'll see you guys soon alright?"

Nodding Eli gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Text me as soon as you get home alright? Love you."

"I will. Love you too!" Alex shouted as she entered her car and shut the door. Waving at the couple through the window, she turned on the ignition and prepared herself for a relatively long drive home. All she could do was hope that there wouldn't be too much traffic this late.

But of course, when was she ever in luck when it came to driving?

It was around an hour later that she found herself cruising down a relatively empty highway, glad to be finally rid of the city jam. It seemed as though everyone in the world was trying to get out of that place at the same time, it was pure madness and she was quite sure her car received a new scratch by a passing motorcyclist, not that it would make much of a difference to the already messed up car.

Briefly, Alex amused herself with the differences between herself and her best friend in the whole wide world. While Eli was a little bit on the short side and curvy with long luscious hair, Alex was nearly the opposite. She was tall and thin, coming to 5'7" without shoes and weighing around 105 pounds. Skinny, pale, and on occasion having been compared to a willow tree, Alex's alarmingly fair skin and wavy light brown hair made her look almost doe-like. The fact that she was softer in demeanor and tone made her the less noticeable of the two and therefore the less popular; not that Alex really minded. Eli was the kind of girl that turned heads wherever she went, with that perfect figure and beautiful face and while Alex too had her fair share of attention, she could never gain a room's attention the way Eli could. If she didn't know Eli the way she did, it would have killed Alex, or just about any girl really, to be constantly by her side. It was a problem on her confidence back when they were high-schoolers, being constantly compared and always coming up short. But over the years Alex gained her own kind of confidence. It was definitely quieter and less discernible, but it was definitely there. Nowadays, it seemed as though nothing could really bring Alex down.

Except for perhaps the small part in her chest that told her she was alone.

Loneliness was something that Alex was never really sure how to deal with. Since she was 15 she had been jumping from one relationship to another, never having more than a five-month break in between. She couldn't stand being single, but she couldn't stand being in a relationship either. It was a strange combination, one that annoyed her to no end. In the beginning, it was just bad luck after bad luck, asshole after asshole. She was cheated on three times by her three longest boyfriends, and after that it was as though something inside of her broke. She realized that there was something significantly wrong with her when she ended her last relationship on a whim after 9 months of perfection. Even now, even though she had no regrets for she was sure he deserved better, she just couldn't understand why she did it.

Maybe she truly was just broken?

Forcing back such depressing thoughts, Alex quickly checked the speedometer and was surprised to find herself driving under 70miles/hour. It seemed as though her pondering had an effect on her driving, for she nearly never went below 90 on the highway. Shrugging, she saw no real need to hurry, especially since it was already approaching 430am and there was literally no one on the road. Turning up the radio as 'Lights' by Ellie Goulding came on, Alex amused herself by singing, albeit horribly, on the top of her lungs. It was better than being contemplative and sad anyway.

And then it happened… so fast that when she tried to recall it after, she couldn't understand it either.

One second she was enjoying her drive alone down the slow lane, and the next she was gripping onto the steering wheel for dear life as screams ripped from her throat, body slamming hard as it was whipped against the sides and ceiling of the car, seat belt cutting into her chest. It was as though she was in a roller coaster and her worst nightmare wrapped in one horrifying package as she felt her car slam over and over again as gravity shifted terrifyingly quick between pulling her down and shoving her up. It wasn't like what they portrayed in the movies or books; time didn't slow down, her life didn't flash in front of her eyes, she didn't see the people she loved or anything like that. It was quick, and perhaps merciful in that sense, because in literally half a second everything occurred: glass flying, metal scrapping, sparks shooting, red stuff that she could have sworn was her blood spewing across everything and anything.

And then darkness claimed her within a snap.

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**So what do you think? Please do let me know, for as all writers know, reviews are the juices that get our brains flowing.**

**Be kind if you want, be nasty if you need to. I appreciate all comments and criticisms equally.**

**And for all you amazing readers, Happy New Years!**

**I hope to see you all in the next chapter.**

**Love,**

**Fy**


	2. Chapter 2: The Discovery

**AN: I do not own LotR and I am by no means Tolkein. Also, this is all written without any other knowledge than Google + the Movies.**

**But otherwise, do enjoy!**

**EDIT: Ooh also, gore warning! Just a little bit.**

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**Chapter 2**

**The Discovery**

_I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. - Nelson Mendela_

Samwise Gamgee had by no means ever been associated with the world 'brave'; foolish, quiet, loyal, and even boring on occasion, but never brave. Which brought one to question exactly what in the world was he doing such an ungodly distance away from home, from the Shire where he had been born and raised and never stepped a foot out off- on an adventure that seemed a little too big for someone of his small stature. Anybody who knew him well enough knew that Sam could barely gather the courage to talk to a certain Miss Cotton, whom he had been doting upon for far too long, much less trudge across Middle Earth on a mission that could potentially lead to the damnation of all that is good and holy. No… If only Gaffer could see him now, he would scrub Sam's face raw, just to make sure the strange creature he was looking at was indeed his very own son.

Gandalf was right in warning them that this journey would change them… Sometimes Sam wondered whether he would ever be able to go back to who he used to be: foolish, quiet, loyal, boring Sam… He would give anything to turn back to the happy, ignorant Hobbits they once were. A little sheltered they may have been, but at least they were content to live their lives in peace… Not in the world of larger folk where they didn't belong. It was more excitement than he could handle, and he was looking forward to getting this entire thing over with.

Just then, an annoyingly loud snore brought him out of his reverie. Shaking his head, Sam turned to frown at his two other exceedingly noisy companions: Peregrin Took and Meriadoc Brandybuck. Both Hobbits were, as usual, lying flat with their mouths wide open, threatening to awaken the entire forest with the atrocious noises coming from their mouths. Sighing and knowing he would not get any more sleep, not with the excitement of the day still lingering in his mind, he sat up.

"Can't sleep?" The gentle, but low voice of Strider startled Sam, causing him to whip his head towards the man's direction. He knew nothing of the Ranger except for the fact that he was incredibly skilled with the sword, is to be feared (and rightly so), and kept company with Elves. There was never a more blatant enigma than the tall man that sat near their feet.

"No. Not really." He replied, standing up and giving himself a good stretch.

"You should try to get some rest. Rivendell is a half a day's ride away and the others will be here at dawn."

Although he wouldn't admit it, Sam was still somewhat annoyed at the Ranger for entrusting Frodo to a stranger, even if said stranger was possibly the most beautiful being he had ever laid his eyes on. He was shocked that Strider had allowed a woman to run off alone, with the Nazgûl on her tail. Elf or not, it was a huge risk that could have lead to unbearable consequences. Thankfully they did received word barely half a day later that Frodo was safe in the Elves' hands, although his life still hung in the balance.

Wincing, Sam inwardly cursed himself for not keeping a better eye out for his friend. If he had just been more astute, and less stupid, everything would not have turned out the way it did. His foolishness with starting that fire cost them more than he could possibly bear; the shame ate him from within, as well as the guilt, and fear.

Noting that the human was staring at him with a strangely perceptive look of understanding on his face, Sam turned away quickly to look towards the forest. "The others?" he asked.

"Elves with horses. We will reach Rivendell a lot faster that way… And back to Frodo sooner."

Knowing that there were still a couple of hours to sunrise, Sam nodded towards the direction that he had spent some time in earlier in the day. "I'm going to look for more Kingsfoil, just incase."

There was a pause in the Ranger's response that made Sam realize that he thought his actions were somewhat unnecessary, especially since if Elven medicine could do no good, what could forest-given plants do? Still, doing something with his hands and mind would be better than sitting idly by, killing himself thinking over potential futures and consequences.

Nodding, the Ranger leaned back and closed his eyes; a pretense that Sam had long learned meant nothing for that man was perpetually alert. "That is a good idea. Don't wander off too far."

It took Sam about five minutes to come back to the place that he had previously stopped at. Kneeling down, he berated his lack of foresight to bring a bag, and instead began to gather as much as he could into his pockets. He proceeded slowly, this time making sure to choose the freshest looking out of the lot. It was calming work, to be able to feel the dirt beneath his toes and his hands once again in between the greens. He was a gardener through and through, born and bred, and this was second nature to him. He allowed himself to retreat to the part of his mind he found the most comfort in, and of course the calming scent did nothing but help his mood improve.

Midway through working, a flash of red caught his eye.

Curious, Sam moved closer and picked the object up. It was a patch of red cloth, very finely made from the way it felt. Frowning at his strange find, he moved the branches aside a little more, only to reveal more torn cloth. Odd… It was as though someone had gone and decided to leave a trail of this material. Following it a little more, he found another patch, but as he raised it to the moonlight he noted that this one was of a slightly different shade of red… And it was wet… And it felt strangely like-

"STRIDER!"

It was moments later that Sam tore into the clearing where they had set up camp, gasping for breath. A glimpse towards the East told him that dawn was soon approaching, but there were more urgent things to attend to.

"What? What is it Sam?" The Ranger, as expected, was quick to his feet, hand already upon his blade while the other two Hobbits blurrily stared on, half confused at the commotion.

"Come! Come quick!" He didn't bother explaining, there wasn't time. They had to hurry.

The man, on his part, did not bother to press for an explanation, and instead hurried after the young Hobbit. They ran quickly, and even Sam was surprised by his newfound ability to dodge trees and roots. Recognizing where he was he quickly stopped and pointed.

"There! Behind those bushes- I'm not sure what happened but it looks bad."

The Ranger hurried over to his location, before stopping short, promptly stunned into silence. He had seen many things in his long life, but this was certainly something new and horrifying at the same time.

In front of him lay one of the most grotesque scenes he had ever witnessed, and that was saying something. A body lay bloodied at his feet, lifeless except for the small rise and fall of its chest. Both an arm and a leg were twisted beyond a position that could even remotely be considered natural, and on the shoulder: a cut so deep that he could clearly see white bone. Whatever garment the person was wearing was decimated during whatever happened to him or her, with patches of red cloth and golden squares made of some sort of unknown hard material strewn about the place, some even embedded into the skin. Blades of glass could be seen stabbed into numerous places, and from others blood poured without any sign of stopping. The most concerning one was just by the trachea, a small triangular shaped glass stuck from the throat, narrowly missing any vital blood vessels. It was only by closer inspection of the cut-marred face that he could make out the person to be a human woman, and a young one at that. Eyes hardening into cold calculation, he did a quick assessment of her, and knew that there was still a chance, albeit incredibly slim, that she could survive. Every type of injury caused missed anything vital, and if delivered to an expert healer, there was still hope.

"Sam!" He barked out, rolling up his sleeves in preparation of the things he knew needed to be done. "Give me all the Kingsfoil you have gathered, and head back to camp, bring me my bag, all the water and cloth you can find."

Taking in a deep breath, the Ranger got to his knees and began to work. Fueled by the adrenaline still churning in his veins from having nearly failed Frodo, he prayed:

_Please survive. Whoever you are._

**###**

She was a cloud, floating and drifting gently through the bluest of blue skies… Or maybe she was in a cloud? Wrapped up so snug that she couldn't help but feel incredibly safe and warm… Or perhaps she was in something else? Because surely clouds weren't warm, they were made out of water vapour weren't they? Not to mention they were high in the sky, so they definitely couldn't be warm.

Alex frowned; it was certainly an odd feeling. There was a strange ringing in her ears, and somehow she couldn't feel the rest of her body aside from the soft throbbing of her head. In the distance, she could hear the muffle of voices and it took her a while and an alarming bit of effort to make out what they were saying.

"… you find her?"

"She was… sprawled..."

"… never seen this kind of damage..."

Alex frowned harder; it was as though someone was messing with the volume control and muffler at the same time, allowing her only to pick up certain words. She tried to turn her head, but it was as though her body suddenly weighed an extra 300 pounds and she found she couldn't move an inch. She struggled for moment, trying to complete the most basic of tasks of just opening her eyes… But found it was nearly impossible.

"Perhaps Gandalf would know…"

"Perhaps… Have you heard…"

"No-"

Eventually she stopped trying and allowed the darkness to swallow her once more.

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**A little bit shorter of a chapter, even by my standards. I had actually written more, but knew that if I allowed that to continue I would not get any sleep tonight. Plus, I feel a headache brewing. Ugh.  
**

**Thank you all who had read and reviewed my previous chapter. Well, all 50 of you who glanced and the 2 that reviewed. Either way, whether or not my first chapter piqued your interest. Thank you anyhow.**

**Special thanks to clockwork-faerie98 for the thorough and interesting review. It is because of you that I changed my summary (good call by the way) and strived to write another chapter.**

**Also, thank you to that anonymous reviewer. =]**

**I suppose that is it for now. I hope you enjoyed it. Again, as before, I appreciate any comments you can give me. I do love reviews (who doesn't?), they make me very happy inside whether or not the content within them are praises or curses. So do, if possible, pop a little word to let me know what you think.**

**Hopefully, I will see y'all next chapter!**

**Love love,**

**Fy**

**x**

******EDIT2: Changed 'Naz'gul' to Nazgûl, 'plastic' to 'unknown material' and 'Madam Cotton' to "Miss Cotton'.**

**PS: Thank you to Certh for being an awesome reader/reviewer and noticing the little things so that I may change it. I myself am really annoying astute to details in stories I know well. And since I do not know much about LOTR, I thank Certh for being there to catch whatever I may have missed. It makes me a better writer and teaches me along the way anyhow. =] **


	3. Chapter 3: The Dream

**AN: My name is not Tolkein.**

**Onwards!**

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**Chapter 3**

**The Dream****  
**

_"All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible." - T.E. Lawrence_

It was a strange journey to consciousness, at least in Alex's opinion. She could have sworn she was somewhere in Europe, with what little she could make out of the conversations going around her in her sorry state. They sounded almost English, yet strangely foreign at the same time, with an archaic tint behind their use of language. Once or twice she would have had to stop herself from scoffing if she was awake, just purely out of the fact that the individuals around her sounded the most odd, and almost pompous in behaviour.

Alex had always viewed her dreams with amusement, and this was no different. She had conjured things from talking goldfishes to killer moms before, so being brought into a world full of old-English sounding people, did nothing to falter her fun.

She drifted in and out of different dreams, sometimes she could hear birds and water, sometimes she would hear murmurs of voices in numerous languages: some she understood, while the other she didn't. It was odd, but not disconcerting. She knew she had a wild imagination so she honestly wasn't too surprised.

By the time she gathered enough strength to open her eyes it was dark. It took her a while to adjust towards the dim lighting, but once her vision cleared and everything came into focus, what she witnessed made her gasp in wonderment and surprise.

Never had she ever before conjured such a perfect scene.

It was as though someone took her wildest, most impossible dreams and pieced it together with the most beautiful, scenic idea of a room ever imagined. The high ceilings were made out of perfectly polished marble, melded so that they came together in a tent-like structure just above her head. Pure gold rimmed the corners of the room while a number of wonderful tapestries hung against strong walls made of various gleaming stones. Tall pillars stood at the edges, displaying art that were seemingly hand-carved into the marble. Large floor-to-ceiling windows graced an entire wall, allowing streams of moonlight to fill the place; their panes again lavishly designed by excellent craftsmen. On her left she observed a doorway leading onto a corridor too dark for her eyes to see.

It was astonishingly detailed, and incredibly beautiful; so much so that it quite literally took her breath away and left her stunned in awe. She could not recall a time where her dreams were so vivid, so stark and real. She could even feel the night breeze gently brushing against her exposed skin. She felt kind of odd, because she could not remember a time where she was able to experience everything in a dream as though they were real sensations; but heck, she was the type of person to forget most of her dreams so who was she to truly say what she could or could not remember?

Added to this fact, there was a strange fog in her head, like a blanket that covered her thoughts, leaving a gap between what felt like reality and a dream. It was not unlike the times in high school where she had a little too much 'sandwich' or 'Mary Jane' as they would call it. But for some odd reason, she couldn't for the life of her place where she had seen this place before, even though it did feel a little familiar. Not to mention, every time she tried to focus a thought, she would lose it, like slippery threads slipping through her fingers.

There was a movement towards a dark corner of the room that caught her eye. Struggling to sit up, Alex found that every attempt she made failed. It was as though everything below her neck was being incredibly unresponsive, and stubborn despite her wishes.

A tall woman stepped slowly into full view, allowing the moonlight to shine upon her. Once again, it was all Alex could do to stifle a gasp of pure reverence and painfully enough, jealousy.

She was incredibly lengthy, standing at about 5'9" and was excruciatingly beautiful, with impossibly long dark hair that reached to her thighs. Even in the darkness Alex could see that she had skin so fair she seemed to glow like freshly polished pearls. The stranger was slim, and incredibly so, but still displayed womanly curves underneath her gorgeously luxurious garb. She wore a periwinkle blue colored full-length dress that hinted at a more medieval style, with a matching robe to cover her delicate frame while a pair of dusky flats peaked from underneath the gown. The woman stood so straight and tall that Alex could only theorize that she either came from a line of Kings and Queens, or she that had a steel rob permanently imbedded into her back. Either way, she was so indescribably breathtaking that no matter how Alex fumbled, she could not come up with English words enough to describe her. All Alex could do was blink furiously, unable to believe her eyes.

The woman walked towards her, making sounds that brought Alex back to reality. It took her a moment to digest the fact that she was speaking to her, albeit in words that Alex could not understand. Alex stared, momentarily confused and half struggling to form her thoughts properly so that she may respond, but just as she opened her mouth to reply, the stranger stopped her by putting her index finger to her lips, and shaking her head softly.

She said a few more words (or what Alex assumed to be words) and gestured at her throat. Frowning, Alex moved her hand, albeit slowly due to the newfound inability to move her body properly, and found that she had bandages wrapped tightly around her neck. So that must be one of the reasons why she struggled with turning her head. The woman approached her slowly, eventually assisting Alex with sitting up.

Muttering more things that Alex couldn't comprehend, the stranger shifted away to reach for a bottle that sat on a table just by the bed she was currently lying on. But just as she did so, her curtain of hair shifted to reveal a pair of odd ears that were sharp in the corners.

Oh.

She was an elf.

Stunned, Alex blinked a little harder, trying to make sure what she was witnessing wasn't just a figment of her imagination. But of course, since this _was_ a dream, everything was a figment of her imagination. Still, what on Earth made her subconscious come up with something like this? What exactly was Freud trying to tell her?

Frowning, Alex took the bottle that the Elf-woman handed to her. The pear-shaped bottle felt heavy in her hands, and cold. It was a wonderful navy blue with gold tendrils winding from the bottom to the top, coming to an end just where a wooden cork was placed. Seeing, noting and feeling this made Alex feel a little more uneasy for how is it so that she could be witnessing all these details?

Looking up at the strange woman as though she might have some answers, Alex got nothing but a couple of gestures to show that the woman was trying to get her to consume the liquid within. Shrugging, and her weirdly addled brain not being able to comprehend the fact that such a beautiful being could possibly want to bring her harm, Alex slowly uncorked the bottle and lifted it to her lips, allowing the cold, sweet liquid to trickle down her throat.

Almost immediately, several things occurred at once.

Firstly, the fog in her mind lifted, allowing her thoughts to clear and her brain to come back into function. At the same time, images and memories of the last thing she experienced hit her like a ton of bricks, causing her body to shudder so badly that the now-empty bottle slipped from her suddenly clammy hands and drop to her thighs. She would have uttered a scream if she could, mainly just because the recollection hit her so fast that she felt as though she was experiencing it once again. As soon as the shock of the accident faltered slightly, pain and soreness that wrecked her entire body quickly replaced it. What merciful gentleness she felt before, the consumption of the medication just given to her had taken it all away and she felt like she had been run over by a truck multiple times, and then stampeded on by a herd of elephants. And from what she could remember that had happened to her it was somewhat true.

And then, her quick mind came to several conclusions.

Firstly, the pain she felt was certainly too real, too vivid for this to be a simple dream, perhaps she was in some sort of special hospital for incredible cases? But just as quick as that thought came, she dismissed it. She was well read and knowledgeable enough of the events going on in her own country that she was sure she would have heard of a fantasy-world based hospital. And honestly, it just seemed like a waste of money. Perhaps she was stuck in a coma then? Because who knows exactly what goes on in the minds of comatose patients. And if it is so, she was partially glad, because dreaming meant that she was not brain dead and had a chance of waking up.

Secondly, what in the living Hell happened? She remembered being alone, completely and utterly alone on that highway, so what on Earth came at her so fast that it was enough to cause her car to flip over multiple times? Wincing, she remembered the incident so clearly that it made her sick to her stomach. Forcing the thoughts away, her mind jumped to the next one.

Thirdly, how on Earth was she supposed to get herself out of this little jam?

"Hello? HELLOO-"

It took her a moment to realize that even though she opened her mouth to utter those words, no sound came out. Astonished, Alex reached for her throat once more, body no longer numb. But even the slight movement caused her to wince in pain.

The Elf woman reached to grab her arm gently, shaking her head in the universal sign for 'no' and speaking once again in words that Alex could not understand.

Alex felt tears of frustration slowly leak into her eyes. What was she supposed to do then? If she couldn't speak, could barely move without feeling terrible pain, could not understand a word of whatever this woman was trying to say to her, all while being in an odd dream state that she cannot get out of. Normally, her next move would be to pinch herself. But the burns she felt from every little movement would have outweighed any form of 'pinching' and technically should have wakened her should she be simply dreaming.

Opening her mouth to let out a silent scream of annoyance, Alex forced herself to take several deep breaths to calm herself.

This was ridiculous.

Simply and utterly ridiculous.

After a while, she realized that the Elf-woman was staring at her in apprehension, once again speaking to her in soft-melodious tones.

"I. Do. Not. Understand. You." Alex mouthed to her slowly, hoping to God that her imagination somehow gave this woman the ability to read lips. "Speak. English."

The Elf stared back at her, a look of obvious confusion crossing over her pretty features. Rolling her eyes, Alex mouthed again.

"Eeeeeeeeengggliiiiissshhhh."

The woman attempted again, saying a number of ridiculously foreign stuff that Alex could not understand. Honestly, if she were speaking French, Spanish, German, Dutch, Thai, Mandarin, Cantonese, Malay, Indonesian, at least Alex could see that they belonged in the same world. But she was speaking using terms and words that she had never heard before in her life, and having come from an International school, that was saying quite a bit.

"No. No. Eeeeengliiiiisshhh."

Again, the Elf tried and failed. But at least she got the fact that Alex had no idea what she was trying to say. She stepped back, a little surprised, before jabbering on in several different sounding tones, obviously trying out her repertoire of languages. But to every single one Alex just shook her head, getting more and more confused. Where did her brain find the ability to make up several different languages? Or was her subconscious trying to play a trick on her?

Huffing and seemingly giving up, which was rather entertaining to watch on such a composed creature, the Elf took a step back and muttered, "For the love of Eru."

"There. There. There!" Alex straightened up, pointing at her. She had no idea what or who 'Eru' was, but at least she understood the first few words that came before that, which was more than she had been able to the entire time.

The Elf froze, blinking slowly. "You understand what I am saying now?"

Alex nodded frantically. Finally! Although she was slightly peeved at the fact that this woman could speak English the entire time and was probably just playing dumb.

The stranger frowned, obviously finding the situation a little less pleasing than Alex did. "How did you come by the knowledge of Sindarin?"

"Sindarin?" Alex mouthed. Okay, this person was most definitely had a few screws loose on the inside. Sometimes, the ability of her own subconscious surprised her. Alex shook her head, feeling slightly sorry for her companion, even if she were just a figment of her imagination. "Not Sindarin. English. Eeengliiishh."

The woman paused, staring at Alex as though she was the estranged one. Shaking her head and sighing, she turned to the vanity table that sat towards the darker corner of the room, where Alex assumed she had occupied when Alex was still asleep.

"No matter, we shall take you to see Lord Elrond. He asked to be informed as soon as you woke. But because you still seem a little worse of wear. I shall go talk to him. In the mean time-" The Elf then stopped short, obviously distracted by something towards their left.

Turning to see what caught her attention, Alex was astonished to see an incredibly tall old man sporting a long silver cloak and a tall pointed hat standing by the door. He was certainly beyond the 'normal' age most humans would get to, with a long white beard hanging down to his chest and terribly bushy eyebrows.

Snapping her mouth closed, Alex shouted (silently):

"Dumbledore!?"

* * *

**Okay, even I have to admit, this chapter was rather badly written. I will probably end up editing this multiple times. But my brain, although I can sense something wrong with this chapter, can't seem to point up exactly what.**

**You see, I am trying to not only make this story a non-marysue, but at realistic as possible. I was really proud of my first two chapters but this one seems to need a little bit more work on looking more realistic. I don't honestly know how to made it look realistic, all while making it look like a dream to our protagonist. After all, one wouldn't be too honestly shocked by the things going on in their dreams, if they believe it's a dream right?**

**Oh whichever. I hope I somehow end up fixing this. And if you do have any suggestions, or things you picked up on that didn't feel quite right, do let me know. I think I need to give myself a little bit of a break, to step back and reread this with a fresh mind.**

**Anywho, do pop a little review if you can. Let me know what you think; the good, the bad, the everything in between.**

**Thank you to all those that read, favourited and followed this story. An even larger thank you to clockwork-faerie98 for the encouraging and heartfelt review; as well as Midwinter (anonymous reviewer) for appreciating this story!**

**Do stay tuned and I hope to see you all next time round!**

**Love,**

**Fyx**

**xx**

**ps. In word count I made up for the last chapter at least? =P**

**pps. 'Sindarin' is (what I assume, from what little I know and have found out on the internet) is Elvish - as in the language. But do correct me if I'm wrong.**


	4. Chapter 4: The Awakening

**AN: Do not own anyone or anything except for the people you do not recognize!**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**The Awakening **

_"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one." - Albert Einstein_

There were many strange, curious things in this world that even an old man like himself had yet to experience (for indeed an 'old man' was all he chose to appear as, unless prompted otherwise). For all his renown across Middle Earth and beyond, be it the meddling conjurer with incredible (and yes, he was quite sure they were second-to-none) fireworks or one of the five great wizards to walk this world; Gandalf the Grey was without a doubt considered one of the wisest, kindest, most patient people that you would ever meet.

But of all his intuition and vast knowledge of this world and beyond, he had never been so stumped by a single person- much less a single, small female human.

He had heard the tale retold many times by Samwise Gamgee, whose facts and recollections were later backed up by Aragorn, as well as their companions Peregrin and Meriadoc. Although he did pity the girl for having gone through such intensive pain, the descriptions of her injuries were quite unlike anything he had ever heard of before. It more or less sounded like she was pushed into a glass box, and then shook around manically before being dropped to the ground; and while those who dwelled in Evil parts did on occasion come up with the most alarming torture or death-dealing devices, he had never heard of something like that occurring before.

It was strange, odd and exceedingly curious. And there was nothing Gandalf liked more than a puzzle that needed solving, proving that said mystery will not bring any harm of course.

"Mithrandir." The Elf greeted him as he entered the room with a slight nod of the head.

"Good evening, Adaniel." Now that he saw her face he recognized her as one of the Elves Elrond had previously introduced him to. "My apologies, I did not intend to alarm you. I was just on my way to visit Master Baggins when I heard that our guest had awaken."

At the mention of the stranger, Gandalf brought his gaze to halt upon the girl who was staring at him incredulously, gaping like a fish out of the water. Did she recognize him? Did she know who he was?

"Yes… She woke not long ago. I had just given her the Purified Water."

"Ah…" Gandalf nodded, understanding. Athelas, when administered in strong doses can work both as a psychoactive hallucinogen as well as a painkiller. Sometimes steps had to be taken to remove these effects. "What can you tell me about our guest?"

"She is an odd one. It appears as though she knows not any languages spoken by Men, and I've tried everything from Rohirric to Westron. But she does, however, seem to have an understanding of Sindarin." Adaniel hesitated. "Do you mind keeping an eye on her Mithrandir? While I run to inform Lord Elrond of her current… state."

"Of course." Gandalf responded, smiling gently at the Elf. "Go ahead. I will stay here in your place."

Nodding her thanks, the young Elf scurried off (as well as Elves 'scurried' that is) and was quick to disappear into the darkness outside. Turning his attention back to the girl, he walked to her side.

_Now aren't you an interesting one._

**###**

Now Alex was just confused.

"Mithrandir." Her Elf-companion had greeted the older man as he walked in. Not Dumbledore, or Albus, although that name did sound exceedingly familiar. His calculating gaze swept quickly from Alex to the Elf, seemingly reassuring her of one thing or another again in a language that Alex held no grasp of.

They began to converse quietly, with the Elf stealing occasional glances, making it even more obvious that they were talking about her. Alex bit her lip, unsure whether to fidget or protest. Honestly, didn't they know it was rude to talk about someone as though they weren't in the room?

A few more words and the Elf stepped out, leaving her alone with the man. For the first time during the night it dawned upon her that she was not dressed in her own clothing, but in a long sleeping gown that covered her from her shoulders to her toes. Unsure exactly what it was made out of or whom it belonged to before it came to her, Alex lifted the blanket a little bit so that it covered all of her chest as well. Who knew exactly how these materials functioned and what they covered, it was better to be safe than sorry.

There was a tense silence, with the man the Elf called Mithrandir (although Alex wasn't sure if that was just a greeting, or a name) studying her stoically, as though she was some specimen in a museum. Alex squirmed slightly at the hardness behind his stare, getting more and more uncomfortable as time went on.

"Adaniel tells me that you are not fully cured and haven't regained the ability to speak yet." He finally said, allowing Alex to relax slightly as she let out a small breath of relief. At least he could speak English, albeit a very strange sounding variant of it.

Nodding, the girl brought her hand to her throat, tapping her finger against her voice box, before shaking her head.

The man paused, before reaching over to grab a chair that stood beside her bed and settling down into it. "You also seem to be able to understand Sindarin, but not any language spoken by Men…"

Alex raised an eyebrow; what exactly was this Sindarin that they keep referring to? Surely they couldn't mean English? Or perhaps Sindarin is what they called English in these parts… Of her brain?

To be honest, it was getting more and more difficult to keep in mind that this was all going on in her head; it was odd, as though the more brazenly unrealistic everything got, the more real it began to feel. She was starting to have trouble reminding herself that this was not some messed up version of reality.

"What is your name, child."

Any other occasion, she might have felt offended at the use of the word 'child' to describe her. She knew she was slight, and young looking, but being 21 should officially label her as an adult! But instead of throwing a hissy fit, which was very unlike Alex anyway, she just mouthed her name.

"Allias?"

She shook her head. "Alex."

"Elliah?"

God. This was not going to get them anywhere. Alex pouted, shaking her head and tried once more. But it was hopeless.

Damn. She wished she could speak.

The Dumbledore-lookalike studied her, as though she was a Rubik's cube that needed fixing. "You cannot mean to say... Alex?"

Alex's eyes widened in delight, before she nodded enthusiastically.

"Alex… Never before have I ever came across such a name." He sat back in the chair, as though racking his brains for answer, before saying, "You my lady, are a very odd creature."

Her eyes narrowed, unsure whether he was subtlety insulting her. Imagination or not, she wasn't one to take insults lightly.

"Do you know any language of Men?"

Alex nodded slowly.

"Are you literate?"

She frowned, of course she was! But then again, she did seem to be stuck in some weird fantasy story, so maybe things worked differently here.

The man reached into his cloak, pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to her. Although in her hands it felt more like parchment, like those she used to make out of newspaper and leaves when she was a little girl. She turned it in her hands, half amazed: it was coarse yet durable, and for some reason it made her smile. And then he handed her a feather, and an ink pot!

Her eyes widened in alarm. A quill? He was expecting her to use a quill? Didn't they have pens here? Or did her brain gather 'pens' to be too futuristic in this little trip it's sending her on. Sighing, the girl opened the ink pot and dipped the quill into it, but before she could do anymore the man relieved her of them, and swept them away once again into his pocket (or similar, for she saw no pockets).

"You have never held a quill in your life have you?" The man asked.

Blinking, Alex shrugged, and nodded. It was true anyway.

Turning away from her, the old man stood up and greeted yet another stranger who walked into the room. "Ah- My Lord Elrond."

And then realization hit her like a truck; for not many people could forget the face of someone they called Lord Elrond, especially not if said person was a fan of The Matrix.

Oh Lord.

She was in Lord of the Rings.

**###**

"She is a strange one." Elrond muttered, out of earshot from their companion.

Glancing at the girl who was hesitantly eating food offered to her from a tray, Gandalf turned back to his host. "Indeed she is, my friend."

"To be able to understand Sindarin, but not speak it. As well as not have a grasp of any language used by Men… I would have reckoned she lived with my people until now if not for the fact that I sense no Elvish influences within her."

Gandalf nodded, understanding at once. Their guest did not move with the regality and training that would have undoubtedly been bestowed on her had she been brought up by the fair race. "She also appears not to have any knowledge of how she ended up where Sam found her, nor any knowledge of anything at all." The wizard added. "It is as though she had been living in a cave all her life!"

Sun filtered in from the windows, indicating that a good amount of time has passed since dawn. They had spent the better part of the night and morning questioning this 'Alex' and attempting to find out more about her. She had answered their questions to the best of her abilities but her lack of voice made the whole process a little more difficult. All they could gather was that she had no idea where she was, where she came from, or how she ended up in her situation.

"This situation would not be as… amusing, nor as complex had she not lost her ability to speak."

"How long do you think it would take for her to heal fully?"

Elrond grimaced. "There are many things our medicine can do… But the wound to her larynx was severe, and I am not entirely sure she will ever be able to regain her voice."

Gandalf frowned. "So we potentially may have a lost, helpless human girl?"

"I'm afraid so…"

"What can we do with her?"

Elrond sighed, turning to the oblivious girl so that he may study her further. "I am not sure. Her muscles although smooth and flexible, show no sign of ever being trained. The most I can gather is that she could have been a noble's daughter, although again, that theory is contradicted by the fact that she cannot understand any tongue of Men."

"I saw no lie in her eyes when she answered our questions. She does not mean us any harm, and I do not sense the touch of Sauron or Saruman upon her." Gandalf took a step back, folding his arms. "I must admit… I am a little stumped."

"You and I both friend… I suppose for now she can stay with us. At least until we figure out something to do with her."

Little did the pair know that despite the blank, hesitant look on their guest's face, she was freaking out within.

**###**

_I am in Lord of the Rings._

_I am in Lord of the Rings._

_I am in Lord of the- So I must be in Rivendell then, House of Elrond and what not. I can't believe I did not recognize Gandalf. I am an idiot. Dumbledore? Really Alex? Nice one. Of all possible-_

_So what the Hell am I doing here? Of all places I would expect my brain to lead me to, Middle Earth was the last. I mean, if this were Hogwarts then it would have made more sense. At least I read all the books and know the story pretty damn well, but Middle Earth? I can barely remember the events of the movies, and I never even read the books. How can my brain come up with enough material to create this? To create all of this?_

Alex brought her trembling hands to her face, studying them. Her body still felt extremely sore, but she could sense no open flesh wounds or bandages aside from the one on her throat.

She couldn't really be… There was no possible way-

Alex had always been a highly imaginative person. As a child she spent hours upon hours just lying in bed imagining herself in different worlds that she had created or read about. She had been a princess, a warrior, a witch, an Elf and even a Pokemon before, all fueled by her yearning for something more than the ordinary.

But this… This was taking it a step too far.

But how could she tell? What could she do to test this impossible theory?

Jumping off a cliff may help, because if this were all a dream then she would most probably wake up in the real world. But the thought of it made her feel slightly ill, and so she decided to shelve that away for another time.

Perhaps the pain she felt was all too real because it _is_ real. Because somewhere in reality, she was still in the hospital due to the injuries of her crash… So theoretically if she caused a new wound and it hurt… It could mean that-

No. There was no way.

Her right hand twitched, body debating with itself whether or not to carry forth her following actions. There were a few moments of complete stillness, before her hand snatched forward and grabbed the knife from the tray of food in front of her.

And then she slashed herself as deep as she could on her left palm.

Alex barely registered the flow of crimson dripping down her hand and staining the pure white sheets. She barely registered the cry of alarm and surprise that came from the two men in the room as they hurried over to her side. She didn't feel Elrond grabbing onto her left wrist, immediately wrapping it in bandage, nor did she see the puzzled looks they were shooting at her.

All she felt was the stark, bright pain screaming from her torn skin.

_Oh my God._

Alex felt faint, and stars burst across her vision.

_This is real._

* * *

**Okay, I was very pleasantly surprise by the amazing response from the last chapter. And so, even though I feel as though this chapter is probably the worst thing I've ever written, I'm going to wait until I hear your judgement before I write it off as a failure.**_  
_

**Because honestly, I cringed when I wrote this the first time, I cringed when I restarted, I cringed when I read it, and I'm still cringing now. I do not know how to capture the reality of the situation. I don't know how to make her realize that her ending up in this world is no mere consequence of a coma, but an actual situation that is occurring, without it sounding bad.**

**And this sounds incredibly bad to me.**

**It was difficult writing as Gandalf, because I have not read the books and therefore cannot say much. It was hard writing as Elrond and it was just... Difficult in general.**

**Anyway, I shall stop whining about difficulties now and let you tell me what you think. I can only hope the next chapter will be better. I don't want it to go downhill from here.**

**Thank you everyone that read, followed or favourited this story.**

**Special thanks to Vivstar, clockwork-faerie98, LittleNK and Midwinter for reviewing.**

**Also to Certh for pointing out certain things that I had missed (which I thoroughly and truly appreciate) as well as explaining to me how the languages work. **

**I personally just hope that this chapter wasn't cringe-worthy enough for you all to leave me. **

**Love,**

**Fy**

**xx**

**ps. Heeeelll yeahh. 10K words. WHOOO. Cookies to me! =D**

**pps. Too tired to edit tonight. Shall do so tomorrow. x**

**EDIT: Changed Náltucien to Adaniel because I was caught using a random name generator. *Blush* and it turns out that Náltucien is not actually a proper Tolkien-Elvish name... Thank you Certh for pointing that out though, I honestly never even knew there were noticeable differences. **

**EDIT2: Changed Gandalf's reaction from knowing 'Alex' as a male name, to not knowing an 'Alex' at all. Due to Alex having come from Grecian origins and Tolkien having never used Greek. **

**Also, just so you know. I made up that bit about Athelas having hallucinogenic properties. It does not state anything at all in the canon about that. I just thought- why not? Teehee. (Don't hate me).**

**Again, thank you Certh for noting and letting me know the problems above so that I may fix them. =D Much appreciated.**


	5. Chapter 5: The Chaos

**AN: Hola everyone. Wow. I'm rather surprised at the response I got from the last chapter. I'm glad you've been enjoying my writings! I hope you'll stay tuned for more.**

**Without further ado, onwards!**

**But also, I edited some stuff from the previous chapter. Náltucien is now Adaniel and Gandalf does not know of any 'Alex's and finds her name to be weird. Just a note!**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**The Chaos**

_"Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars." - Khalil Gibran_

"-on a slightly more cheerful note. Happy New Years to all our listeners, and if you are driving at this time, remember to keep both hands on the wheel and eyes on the road, and have a very good night."

Caleb grinned wolfishly as he turned up the volume to his radio, enjoying the stream of Avicii coming through the speakers. It had been a great night; a wonderful start of the year and he just had a feeling in his gut that 2013 was going to be better than anything he had ever experienced.

Clearing his throat, the 26-year old reached over to grab his water. He had a little bit too much to drink that night and was still in the process of sobering up. His coordination wasn't too particularly messed up and he could still function properly, but he knew that excuse wouldn't fly with the cops should they decide to put a road-block up.

But still, the potential of being caught by the popos did nothing to dampen his high spirits, for tonight he finally made a breakthrough with gorgeous Gabriella; a sexy, long-legged Spaniard whom he had been trying to win over for almost six months. To be fair, it wasn't the fact that she could have been Playboy's calendar girl that put him on her leash, but because she was doing a PhD in Electrical Engineering in Stanford and that she knew her way around Azeroth that got him hopelessly pining after her. In some cases, it was pathetic, but tonight she had finally agreed to go out with him.

_Only happy days ahead._ Caleb thought as he grinned, tapping his fingers against the armrest to the beat of the music.

Just ahead, flashes of red and blue made him slow down his car. Caleb gulped and checked his reflection in the mirror to make sure that he did not look intoxicated in any way, which, to his relief, he did not. As he continued driving ahead he let out a prayer of gratitude to see that it was not a roadblock, but an accident instead. But despite his good luck, a frown began to emerge on his face for the scene looked brutal.

A small red car was completely obliterated, its body smashed up so badly that he could barely make out what make or model it was. Glass scattered across the highway, mixed with little dark patches that Caleb could only guess were either oil or blood beneath the dim street lamps. He shuddered, praying slightly that whomever the driver was, that she or he had survived.

And then something made him slam the breaks, bringing his car to a complete stop on the opposite side of the highway. It was still thankfully empty, or his rash decision might have caused another commotion. But at that moment Caleb wasn't really concentrating on anything except a number plate on the ground that had probably flew off during the accident.

"Oh my God. Alex."

Caleb was out of his car in a flash, and running towards the site of the accident. The closer he got, the more sick he felt, because despite the ambulance and the police present, there was no way that anyone could have survived this particular crash, not with the way the entire front of the vehicle had melded into itself.

"ALEX!" Caleb screamed. Recognizing her beat-up Honda almost immediately as he got closer.

"Sir... Sir!" A cop came up to him, stopping him from running straight into the area that they had closed off using yellow tape.

"Let go of me damn it." He growled at the policeman, barely even registering him trying to block his path. "I know that car! I know the driver!"

The man hesitated, looking at the destroyed vehicle and then back at Caleb. "I'm afraid I can't let you enter just yet. There is still a chance something could spark off-"

"I HONESTLY don't give a fuck!"

"Sir. I understand that you are-"

Caleb ignored him, the food and alcohol from the night's activities threatening to rise up together with the panic that was beginning to take hold of him. He shoved pass the policeman, not caring for consequences.

"Alex!"

"She's my little sister! LET GO OF ME!"

"Let go of me Goddammnit. Alex!"

"ALEX!"

**###**

Alex woke with a start, heart pounding as she sat up slowly, still mindful of her aching body. Choking back a sob, the girl leaned forward, placing her forehead in her hands.

She wasn't sure what she had dreamt about, but it got her feeling torn up and raw on the inside. Taking in deep, shuddering breathes; the brunette made herself to count to 50, before forcing her body to relax. Blinking blurrily, she looked around, momentarily shocked to see sunlight streaming into a beautiful, medieval-looking room. And then she remembered…

Right.

She was _here_.

Wincing at the sharp pain coming from her left hand as she unknowingly dug her fingernails into it, Alex sighed, surveying the white bandage. It wasn't a terribly deep cut or anything like that, since it was caused by a knife commonly used for cutting vegetables. But it still stung, enough to remind her of the conclusion she had came upon right before she requested some time alone.

That was almost an hour ago, but every time she tried to rest her mind, she would wake barely 10 minutes later with a pounding heart and instincts that told her to run. It was rather hopeless, and she knew she wasn't going to get much sleep after all that had happened.

Slowly, the girl removed the covers and rose from the bed, gingerly testing the strength of her legs. She had been unconscious for a full week, or so she was told, and her body was not used to activities. Before he left her, Elrond told her to take it easy, but out of precautions he also removed anything sharp that she could potentially harm herself with. She had tried to explain to him that there was no need, but it obviously didn't come off convincing enough, especially without her voice to help her.

Sighing once again, Alex moved to the window, wanting to feel some sunlight on her alabaster skin. Taking in a full, deep breath of fresh air, she opened her eyes, and gasped at the marvelous view before her.

Rivendell, she remembered, was one of the most scenic locations she had ever seen. But it had been in a movie, where she was quite sure it was made up via CGI- but to see the city in all its splendor in real life? It was nothing like she could have brought herself to imagine. The sunlight, although strong, did not feel terribly hot on her skin; at the same time it lit up Rivendell in a way that got her struggling for breath. It was as though the architect took everything Disney and made it real: variations of white, cream and light pale blue structures dotted through this haven in the valley; each slightly different from the one before it, but always as beautiful as the last. And beyond that, tall, lush, green mountains rose for as far as the eye could see. Rivers meandered through the different buildings, flowing down as waterfalls from one tier to another, and as the sunlight hit the flowing water, sparks of glitter emerged, together with many minute rainbows. If she thought the room she was given was breathtaking, this… This was beyond comparison.

All of a sudden she didn't feel quite so sick in the stomach.

A ghost of a smile started to grace her full lips, and as her earlier anxiety dropped significantly, old Alex began to emerge behind her dull brown eyes. Alex was never one to stay down for long, never one to whine or groan about her situation. She was the type that took the phrase: "If life gave your lemons, make lemonade" to a whole new level. Hell, sometimes she even made lemon meringue pie.

Settling herself down on the windowsill, she allowed the brilliant view and delicious air to clear her head; to set her mind straight. She had spent the better part of the day moaning about her situation, and it was time to do something else. She wasn't sure what she was doing here, or _why_ she was stuck in this place. But she wasn't going to get any answers moping in bed. It was time to step out of her little pity party, and face the coming challenges ahead.

Revitalized, she took one more glance at the city below, trying to memorize its beauty in her mind, before stepping back into her room.

The Elf-woman from before, Adaniel, Gandalf had called her, (Is it not weird that she is on _first, _or last, name basis with Tolkien's characters? That thought sent shivers down her spine) had left behind a change of clothes for Alex and directions to the nearest bathing location. Gathering her things, which consisted of a large rough piece of cloth that she assumed was supposed to be a towel and an oddly shaped bar of soap, Alex took a deep breath, before leaving the safety that was her room.

The halls of Rivendell were large, and surprisingly empty, which Alex was incredibly grateful for. The last thing she wanted was to bump into anyone important looking the way she did, or smelled. It took her a shorter time than expected to find the place that Adaniel had pointed out, and she was thankful that she didn't get lost on the way.

The 'bathing room' was equally as surprising, and beautiful as the rest of Rivendell. A small closed off room that had a churning stream of water coming in from one end and exiting the other while a large round pool stood in the middle. The water was cold, but smelt fresh; making Alex briefly wonder if it had came directly from the mountains. The thought made her shiver in excitement. She had always wanted to 'bathe in a stream', with clear water given to them by nature. Smiling at that thought, Alex slowly peeled away the dressing gown given to her.

And for the first time since she woke up, she was glad that she had no voice, for she was quite sure with the amount of supposed screaming she did, she would have gathered half of Rivendell to her location.

Scars: small, long, big, ugly littered down her body. Alex had to slide to the ground for she feared she would faint. Half hyperventilating, Alex closed her eyes and counted to 10, before opening them again to survey the damage.

Unwanted tears gathered into her brown eyes and leaked down her face, and soon her body was wrecked by sobs. Because even though Alex always considered herself just a 'healthy amount of vain', she knew that in no way would she ever be considered pretty again, not with the way she looked now.

Many of the smaller scars were gone or fading, but it was the big, ugly noticeable ones that got her in such hysterics. There were three long, thin ones stretching from her right shoulder to elbow, down the center of her abdomen, and from the back of her left thigh down to mid-calf. Shorter, but darker and scarier looking ones marked the top of her left breast, several spots on her back and more down her right leg. But the worst of all, was the large, blackened part of her skin that stretched diagonally from mid-chest around her right shoulder and to her back, presumably caused by the seatbelt of her car. At the worst point it was two thumbs width, and it made her want to saw off her skin.

She wasn't sure whether it was better than she could make no sound, for surely most would have thought she was dying. But the inability to voice her pain, her fear, frustration and desperation seemed to make her situation worse. She hated herself for being so vain but how could she ever look good now?

Who would ever love her now?

Alex would never consider herself beautiful, but that could have been more of a flaw of her character than her looks, for there were many out there who believed her to be quite appealing. To a certain extent, she could see that for herself. She was not boastful about her appearance, but she was most definitely proud of it. She had perfect, flawless skin, and that was the one thing she truly held dear- the fact that she did not really have a problem with acne or scars. But now… It was as though someone decided to play a cruel, barbaric trick on her by taking away the one thing she believed to be great about herself.

And ruined it completely and utterly.

She wasn't sure how long she laid there on the ground, naked from having thrown the gown away at first sight of the scars, tears streaming down her face, mouth and throat working up sobs and screams that could not be uttered. It would have been a pitiful sight for anyone to witness, although none did.

Eventually, she managed to crawl into the pool of water, which was so cold that she eventually turned numb- a feeling she relished. Somehow, her body managed to get itself to soap her body, dry herself, put back on the dressing gown before stumbling back to her room.

She dropped onto the bed, exhausted now from emotional torrent, and fell into a troubled sleep, tears still dripping down her face.

* * *

**Hmm... I debated with myself whether I should have done this to Alex. Turn her into one walking, talking scar. But I realize that it felt slightly more realistic to me, that she would have scars from her accident. Scars that maybe might heal... Or they might not. I also wondered if I should have dragged on the scene a little bit more. I could have, but I did not want to bore you guys with hours and hours of moaning and the OC crying and all that. Because we all know, while sad, it could get tiring after a while.**

**So do let me know what you think. I can still edit this. Make it longer, make it shorter, whatever you feel should be done. I feel as though it is slightly less realistic due to the short time I spend on it (for surely if I woke up one day and found myself riddled with scars I would be in hysterics for a good ten hours) but again, do let me know what you think.**

**Thank you thank you thank you kind reviewers. It made me so happy to wake up and read them. Or just receive them in my email. Honestly, they made my day.**

**To:**

**junicorn123: Really? Strange. I be honest with you, from watching the movies I didn't really quite like Frodo. I felt like out of all the characters, he had the least depth. But now that I have just started reading the books, I'm beginning to feel slightly differently about him. But no worries. She shall meet the members of the fellowship soon enough. Thank you for your kind words. They honestly are the reason I keep writing!**

**Certh: I really enjoy your nitpicking, honestly I do. I hope you realize I really, really do appreciate it and that I do take them into consideration (eg. me changing everything you told me to. Basically because I think you're right. =P ) I hope you keep doing what you've been doing, because it really helps me alot.**

**Lina Inverse the Dramata: Yes, I guess the corniness couldn't really be help. Self-injury never sounded particularly good to me either. But hopefully it will die down and you can enjoy it a little more. Very grateful for your honesty though. As for my OC... To be honest, she isn't very much an OC, but more of a me. She's my height and my weight, with my hair and everything. I'm trying to make her as real of a person can be, and what better way to do that than to have her be... Me? Lol. The only real difference is that I haven't decided if I should make her Asian. Because I am Asian. But no one in the LOTR world even remotely looks Chinese so I kinda didn't want to have to deal with all that... So I left her race up to you guys to decide. =] Hope that answers SOME of what you said. I am kinda unhealthy, and you'll see it in Alex too sooner or later.**

**Thank you to LittleNK, CGKrows, Vivstar and Satipheen for your kind, encouraging words. I'm glad you like my Harry Potter and Matrix references. ;] And I hope to hear from ALL of you guys next time.**

**Thanks to everyone who read, followed or favourited this as well.**

**Stay tuned!**

**Mucho love,**

**Fy**

**x**


	6. Chapter 6: The Beginning

**AN: I do not own anything Tolkien (or Percy Jackson) created. Also, apologies for the long break. I went on holiday, and then came back to America for college, so it took me a while to settle in, etc. I actually am currently in class (and bored out of my brains). But anyway,**

**Enjoy!**

"Westron (Common Speech) speech"

"Sindarin speech"

_"Memory."_

_Thoughts_

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**The Beginning  
**

_"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." - Winston Churchill_

As one often experiences after a night of heavy crying, it took some time for Alex to force her eyes opened. Sniffling, the 21-year old sat up, very much aware that her eyes felt puffy and weird, and that her nose was dripping. She stared blurrily at her legs underneath the blanket, remembering having just fallen into bed the night before. Someone must have tucked her into it… As well as changed the bandage around her throat, which had been soaked thoroughly by her bath. She silently thanked whoever it was, at least they saved her from the chills.

Sighing, Alex slowly got out of bed and made her way towards the windowsill before settling herself down on it. It was dark again, with stars twinkling overhead as well as dancing in their reflections on the water below. Unfortunately, the picturesque sight this time did little to lift the heavy weight of depression she could feel sinking into her shoulders and chest. It was like an invisible monster clawing from within, digging deeper and deeper into her soul; like a dark cloud that refused to leave her alone, no matter how much she tried to think of butterflies and sunshine.

There seemed to be no silver lining around this particular situation. And try all she might, she can never get rid of certain things that marked her forever. Struggling to hold back tears that threatened to destroy her newfound fragile stability, Alex forced her mind to think of something else aside from the scars that labeled her skin.

But as much as she tried, her thoughts just darkened further, until she could handle it no more and shoved herself off her seat.

She needed to move, needed to walk around. Do anything to clear her head.

Moving towards the dresser, Alex gently caressed the dress that had been laid out for her the day before by Adaniel. It was a beautiful piece, one that she had always envied fantasy characters for having worn. It was violet in color, with an inner silk-satin-like chemise covered by lighter chiffon. There were other garments together with the dress: odd, medieval looking items that she had to assume were undergarments. Donning on everything, she found that they fit reasonably well, albeit slightly uncomfortable. The dress dragged on the ground slightly, due to her less significant height, and it hung a little loose on her lack of curves. Still, it was a gorgeous outfit, and she was thankful that the fashion here desired for long-sleeves. That way she could hide away her scars in shame, or better yet, pretend that they were not there.

A pair of shoes were left behind for her too; simple black flats that were a little loose, but comfortable enough. She briefly wondered what happened to the pair of black heels she had been wearing during the accident… Or what happened to her clothing in general. Alex frowned, she hadn't been told who had discovered her, but she dearly hoped she wasn't naked at the time.

It was late, and Alex saw no one as she began her tour with the path that lead to the bath. After walking for a bit, she decided to just go wherever her feet took her. Likelihood was, she was going to get lost, but she didn't much care for that at the moment.

Rivendell was just as beautiful up close as it was through her window. Soon, the gentle sounds of flowing water, mixed together with the birds, the rustling of the trees and chirping crickets brought her mind to a calm. The cold made her bare fingers a little numb, but it wasn't anything too harsh. She just walked, and allowed her eyes to wander.

Soon she came upon a large, green field that was enclosed off by low, wooden fences. Curiosity piqued, she walked nearer to it, wondering what could be held within.

The sight made her stare in wonder, a hand coming up to her chest to rest above her thundering heart, for within what she now knew was a grazing field were a large number of beautiful beasts, a sight she had never seen before.

Most were light in color: a mixture of beige, white and grey. Stronger and larger than most horses she had ever came across, they were incredible beings.

Alex had always been a lover of animals, and horses were close to being one of her favorites, right below wolves. She had some experience in horse riding, having taken beginners classes; nothing overly fancy, just walking and trotting. But she had also spent the better part of a summer working at a ranch, and although she wasn't allowed to ride the horses, she had learnt how to take care of them, how to read them. They were truly fascinating creatures, and the ones that were displayed before her were far more beautiful than any variety she had ever seen.

Unknowingly, a smile began to grace her delicate features as she leaned against the fence, placing her chin on her crossed arms. It seemed like the largest grey one, whom she assumed was the leader, had sensed something and neighed loudly, gathering the attention of the rest of the herd. Soon the rest of the horses had stopped grazing and looked towards his direction. And as one, they began to move, walking first and then picking up speed to gallop past her. The torrent of their movement caused a wind so large that her hair whipped against her face. Alex would have laughed with delight if she could, feeling incredibly blessed to have witnessed such a phenomenal scene. It was a clip straight out of her favourite movie and she felt a little more lighthearted.

As the dust settled, Alex was surprised to see that they seemed to have left one of their members behind. This one had to be of a different breed from the rest, for it was smaller, and much darker in color, so much so that its coat seemed almost black. Compared to the rest of the herd, she could easily see how this particular horse could have been easily disregarded, for it did not seem to possess the pure, raw muscle that the rest did, but instead it was slight and weak looking.

Alex debated with herself for a moment, and stole a quick look around. Seeing that the coast was clear, she carefully pulled herself over the fence and walked slowly towards the lone horse that was still grazing. She knew that what she was doing was rather dangerous, for she was quite sure that if the other horses were to return they could easily trample her under their strong hooves. Who knew whether these horses were broken into or not, or whom they belonged to. But her curiosity, as per usual, got the best of her, and soon she found herself approaching the dark horse carefully.

As she got nearer, she began to see exactly why this horse did not run off with the rest. It was probably not because that it did not want to, for she knew that pack mentality was quite significant, even amongst these gentler mammals, but more likely because it could not. For even from a couple of meters away she could see grey scars streaking through its fine black coat, one particularly bad one going down its front leg, from knee to hoof. She could tell that it favored that particular leg, the way that it placed more weight on its other limbs.

"You poor thing." She whispered inaudibly, her heart going out to the animal.

As though finally seeing her approach, the horse lifted its head. Intelligent eyes gleaming, it blew out air from his nostrils, ears rising high at first, before flattening down. Alex froze, knowing that this was not a good sign.

Cursing her own stupidity, she slowly started to back up, keeping her body limp in a non-threatening manner. The horse neighed twice, the second one louder than the first, as it pounded its hooves into the ground.

Alex bit her lip as sweat began to gather in her palms. God she was such an idiot. What was she thinking? That because she was in some fantasy world that all the animals were going to fall in love with her immediately like she was some princess?

Lord, was she stupid.

If she had her voice, she would mutter soothing words to the animal for she had found that in her experience, sometimes that was enough to calm a frazzled horse. But she did not have such a weapon to her arsenal, and so she just continued backing up, praying that she wouldn't anger it further. For gentle creatures they may appear to be, horses can be exceedingly brutal and cruel whenever they are pushed.

But the creature took two steps forward, and Alex's heart sank. The fence was way too far away, and there was no way she could reach it before the horse reached her.

Oh God. She was going to die.

**###**

"_Your time will come. You will face the same evil… And you will defeat it."_

Her voice resounded in his head. And as always, Arwen's words refused to leave him, even as he walked silently through the night, hand unknowingly caressing the hilt of his sword.

Try as he might to deny it, he could not help but notice how well his hand fit around the hilt of the sword of Elendil, as though it was made for him. And in some ways, he supposed it was…

"_The shadow does not hold sway yet, Aragorn. Not over you, not over me.__"_

He brought his hand to his chest where the Evenstar hung, hidden beneath his tunic. He could feel its outline through the rough cloth and its coolness on his bare skin. There were no words to describe both the sorrow and the happiness that came from knowing it now belonged to him. It was a blessing beyond belief, but at the same time it made his heart ache for what she has to sacrifice to be his.

"_It is mine to give to whom I will, like my heart."_

It was a battle that took place inside him almost every day, for Arwen was never far from the center of his thoughts. He would give up anything for her: his life, his lineage, his future… So he could not blame her for wanting to do the same, for _needing_ to do the same. They were bound to each other, in a way that transcended even death.

It was then that his sharp eyes were able to make out two silhouettes in the darkness. Rigorous training since birth made sure that despite being deep in thought, his senses remained as astute as ever. Sensing trouble brewing, Aragorn moved quietly towards the fenced compound.

The sight alarmed him slightly: a dark-haired human woman seemed to be attempting to remove herself from a rather dangerous situation involving an angered horse. Being an expert horseman, he understood the amount of damage an agitated animal of that size could cause on a person that slight. Looking at how the situation was unveiling, it became obvious to him that she had no idea how to deal with her dilemma.

Frowning, Aragorn leaped over the low fence easily and took quick, careful steps towards the girl.

**###**

_I'm an idiot._

It was strange, because despite her panic she still managed to find appreciation for the beautiful creature. With its nostrils flared, thick silky tail flicking aggressively, black hooves pounding on the ground, there was no doubt that the horse was still a divine beast, albeit a beast nonetheless.

_I am really going to die this time aren't I?_

A pity really, to have defied death in that crazy car accident, only to land herself in this stupid mess; she should really be give the Darwin award.

It took her a moment to note a dark figure approaching through her peripherals. Too afraid to take her attention away from the angered animal, she saw the person move to her right. The newcomer was quick to catch the attention of the horse and it reared up onto its hind legs, causing Alex's heart to leap to her throat, while letting out a loud neigh in protest, obviously disliking this intrusion.

The person muttered something to her, probably in that language they called 'Westron' (for she was starting to be able to make out the difference) and motioned for her to stay still. Which honestly, wasn't that hard to do since she was pretty much frozen solid in fear.

"Calm, my brother." The man muttered, moving forward slightly, his arms raised in what Alex assumed was supposed to be a comforting gesture. "Do not let us alarm you. We mean you no harm."

The horse took two steps back, before rearing and snapping its head out to bite the stranger. Alex blinked in surprise as the man dodged the oncoming attack with amazing fluidity, before grabbing the horse gently by the side of its muzzle.

"Steady, steady. We are not your enemies. Calm yourself." He muttered further in a low, deep voice. "There is nothing to fear. We are your friends." After that, his voice got too soft for Alex to make out what he was trying to say.

But whatever he did, it seemed to work, for aside of one or two nudges, the beast began to calm down, and soon it was putty in the stranger's hands.

Alex stood there, heart pounding still, staring at the scene with great astonishment. Who exactly is this person to be able to calm such a creature? Don't get her wrong, she was extremely grateful for his intervention; but having been one to always yearn for an affinity with animals, she couldn't help but feel slightly jealous over his abilities.

The stranger turned to her, beckoning her towards the horse, again speaking in words she could not understand. In the darkness she could barely make out his features. He was tall, standing at about 5'11, with a large, sinewy frame. Even the relatively large animal didn't seem to be that intimidating next to him.

Unsure of what to do, Alex took a couple of hesitant steps forward, excited and wary at the same time.

As she carefully edged closer, she noted that the horse didn't react, and instead it appeared to just enjoy the man's attention. Slowly, all while trying to suppress her amazement and confusion, she reached out to touch its soft fur.

The horse shifted his head a little, causing Alex to jump back slightly in fear. Even in the darkness she could almost sense the stranger's amusement. Shooting a small glare at the man, she tried again, and this time the horse didn't move.

Gently, she petted the side of its head, before curling her fingers through its silky black mane. After gathering a little more courage, Alex leaned forward and blew gently onto its nose. The horse paused, startling Alex at how human of a gesture that seemed to be, before he let out a breath into her own face. She smiled at the sign of recognition, knowing now that the likelihood of it harming her had lessened dramatically.

Heart calming down slightly, she turned to the stranger to thank him for saving her life, but as she observed his face at the closer distance she stopped short... And found herself staring into the stormy blue eyes of one of the most handsome men she had ever laid her eyes on.

_Don't swoon. Don't swoon. Don't swoon._

_Don't swoon._

It would take the most serious case of amnesia for her to forget _his_ face.

_Oh God. _

Out of the pot and into the frying pan.

* * *

**A little bit of a messy chapter, I admit. I'm not really sure how I feel about this one as well (I've been saying that a lot lately). But yes, finally! She meets one of the fellowship. And I warn you now, I am in love with Aragorn. I ABSOLUTELY am obsessed about him. But do not fret, he is not a romantic interest of the OC, and even if he were, she would never ever pursue him (just as I would never ever pursue him) one has to be blind to not see the bond between him and Arwen.**

**You will probably see alot of fawning though? But who can blame Alex? That man is FINE. **

**(and fit and gorgeous and sexy as hell)**

**But moving on.**

**Thank you so much everyone who read and favourited and followed and reviewed. I really appreciate it.**

**Thank you mwang, Satipheen, Mini Mo xx, clockwork-faerie98, junicorn123, Liliesshadow and Certh. Your words are what keeps me writing, keeps me going.**

**Again, apologies for the long break.**

**I'm looking forward to hearing from you guys about how this chapter feels. Does Alex's reaction seem natural to such a scary situation? Does my depiction of Aragorn hold true?**

**Hope to see y'all next chapter!**

**Muchos love,**

**Fy**

**xx**

**ps. For all of you that do not know what a Darwin award is. I just learnt it two days ago and it is actually hilarious. Go wikipedia it. I swear to you it will be an entertaining read. =D**


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